Far from Home
by macoolist
Summary: Cammie spends the summer away from everything she loves: the Gallagher school, her mom, her friends, and being a spy. Just when she thinks she'll have to endure another dull summer...she gets a surprise. Cammie/Zach all the way!
1. Chapter 1

*Disclaimer* Gallagher Girls is the intellectual property of Ally Carter.

This is my first fan fic, so please comment!! Thank you!

Chapter 1

I linger by my suitcases, looking at the grand castle that was fading behind me. So I would be leaving home again, changed…but myself. Just when I was struggling to be other people, I was also supposed to just be, well, me. It's harder than it seems, and I did it. But now I have to leave everything behind, once again, and be myself _by _myself for a long time. Summer.

Most normal teenage girls dream about summer. They mark their calendars, gush about new summer plans in September, and wish that summer lasted forever. Me? Well, I'm not your normal teenage girl. I don't dream about summer. Because I love school – my home.

If you attended my school, you wouldn't want to leave for summer either. I'm Cameron Morgan, Cammie for short. I go to a spy school. Yeah, spies exist. Like in the movies? Except they never tell you about spy schools. And people never ask. But don't you ever wonder how we are trained? James Bond wasn't just born out of the womb with a license to kill, you know.

The Gallagher School for Exceptional Young Women is technically an elite boarding school for girls, which is why no one would ever know that spy schools like mine exist. In fact, everyone believes that we're just another stuck-up prep school. Totally fine, of course. But my school is really a spy school that trains the exceptional young women to become part of the future CIA or secret intelligence.

My best friend and roommate Rebecca Baxter (all of my best friends are my roommates), or Bex, pulls me by the arm. "Let's go," she says. "You can't stand here forever."

But all I want to do is stand here forever. I don't want summer. I want to be here, where I see my mother, live with my friends, and conduct dangerous operations. And what if I forget? What if I leave this home and think all that happened – including Zach – was a dream? I sigh and pick up my suitcases. I walk over to my best friends – Bex, laughing as her hair blows in the warm air; Liz, eagerly jumping on the balls of her feet; and Macy, planting a hand on her hip and looking gorgeous. As I smile at them, I know home will never be far away.


	2. Chapter 2

*Disclaimer* Gallagher Girls is the intellectual property of Ally Carter. What an ingenious writer!

This is my first fan fic, so please comment!! Thanks.

Chapter 2

"And so, y'know, prom is a big deal," my cousin Molly is saying. She's leaning against the kitchen counter, sipping a glass of water, as I cook breakfast. Yes. Me. Is she helping me cook? Not at all. According to her, I'm spoiled because I go to Gallagher School, so I need to learn how "real people live life." Direct quote. Plus, apparently she is helping me by offering me entertainment as I cook.

I'm on my grandfather's ranch in Nebraska. I'm far away from Roseville, Virginia, where I could be crawling in secret passageways or planning the next covert operation with my best friends. But instead, society decided that summer was a good idea for us to "relax" and "take a break." Oh, Molly was relaxing all right. She had come to the ranch just for the summer, like me, to visit our grandparents. I hadn't seen her since I was two, so I hadn't the faintest idea that she existed. Apparently she comes here often. But I know she doesn't, because in all my years coming here, I've never seen her once.

"It was so amazing," she continues. "They decorated the gym all pretty, and the music was nice. We had punch. Oh, did I tell you how cute my date was?"

"Yes," I murmur. I transfer the eggs to a plate and walk over to the toaster, where I take out the bread and butter the toast.

"Oh. Well he was so cute. Y'know, most of the guys at my high school are like, ew! Are the guys are your school cute? Oh, Cammie, I'm lactose intolerant. Didn't you know? I'll just have jelly."

I grit my teeth and glance at the already buttered pieces of toast. "I'll toast another piece."

"You're a sweetie, Cam. So, are the guys like, hot, or what?"

I put another piece of bread into the toaster before replying. "I go to an all girls' school."

"Oh my gosh. I totally forgot. Then you're like, totally spoiled." Her eyes widen. "Do you ever talk to boys?"

How can my cousin, who is supposed to be genetically similar to one of the world's most brilliant spies, be so…stupid? I decide to forgive her lack of knowledge. She goes to high school in a small town in Kansas. Maybe she doesn't know what the world is really like. I can't help but think of how lucky she is, despite her stupidity.

"Yeah." The piece of bread finally pops out of the toaster, and I open the jar of grape jelly.

"But how?" She cocks her head, confused. Strands of her strawberry blonde hair fall out of her ponytail.

"Well," I say, deciding to mess with my cousin's head. "I mean, I've said hi to like one or two boys. But since I live with girls, I don't really see boys." It's not a complete lie. So maybe I've already had a boyfriend before and kissed an exchange Blackthorne boy. But it's true that I usually don't see any boys, other than the really hot Mr. Solomon, at school.

She makes a face. "That's just too bad. But…" her face lightens up and she claps her hands. "There's probably some very nice boys around here, and I could totally teach you how to talk to them. Not just talk, y'know. Flirt." She winks at the last word.

I pretend to take in her every word with admiration and slowly nod my head. "You are so amazing, Molly," I say sarcastically. But I'm so trained as a spy that it comes out sounding true, and she believes it.

"I know, right? I totally came out here this summer all upset because I broke up with my boyfriend…the prom date…long distance just wouldn't work. But now I'm thinking that I could find myself – and you, of course, Cammie – some cute boys in Nebraska." She smiles wistfully. I'm almost tempted to make a comment about the long distance thing, because if she thinks that's bad, she needs to think again. What if she were a spy, and this boy who maybe she liked and who maybe liked her, was a spy? And what if that meant they could never actually see each other?

Grampa comes into the kitchen. "Mhmmmm," he says. "Sure smells good, Cammie."

"Doesn't it, Grampa? She's a quick learner. I just taught her, and look at her now!" Molly drawls, patting her strawberry blonde hair.

He smiles at Molly, then winks at me. "I'm sure, Molly. Well, girls, today I need to go into town. It's some miles away, and I was wondering if you two would like to come."

"Of course," I reply quickly and set the dishes on the table. Molly grimaces, then nods.

This was going to be a very long summer.


	3. Chapter 3

*Note* Molly Morgan is my creation! All other characters property of Ally Carter.

Chapter 3

The town is small, but decent for being in the middle of nowhere in Nebraska. Grampa heads over to the hardware store, where he is looking for something to help him fix the leak in the bathroom. Molly grabs my hand and pulls me over to the theater.

"Molly, don't you want to first get lunch or something?" She's dragging me towards the inside of the theater.

"We just ate, Cammie. Don't you want to meet some cute boys?" She moves to open the door, but I stop her.

"It's already one. I don't know about you, but my stomach's growling." I rub my stomach as another rumble sounded.

Molly tilts her head to the side. "I'm on a diet. Besides, I'm not hungry. I'm hungry for cute boys," she smiles.

Is she crazy? Wait, I don't even have to ask that. She's stick thin and still needs to go on a diet. Then again, she's never gone through the famous Gallagher workout, day after day.

"I'm hungry. I need to eat. Why don't you go in alone then?"

She glares at me. "Fine," she whines. "I'll go with you."

I point at a display at the ticket counter. "As I said, it's one right now. There's a showing at three. We could go to that, then meet Grampa."

She grudgingly follows me as I search for something to eat. Pizza? Italian? I settle for a tiny deli nestled in the corner of the town. As I order a turkey sandwich for myself and a roll for Molly, I can sense her back straighten next to me. My own back stiffens, and my spy instinct tells me that we're not the only ones of interest in this deli.

From the corner of my eye, I see a tall boy about our age enter the deli as everyone turns to stare at him, just as they had done to us. There's silence for a moment, but then people resume to talk while stealing glances at him and occasionally us. He has wavy brown hair and his hands are in his pockets.

Josh.

*Cliffhanger! The story started slow…but I didn't want to develop Josh's entrance too quickly. I won't post the next chapters until I see that there's enough interest in the story. So please review, thanks!!*


	4. Chapter 4

*Update* I'm totally a Cammie/Zach fan, so I would never betray that relationship! But all stories must come with a twist, and because I feel sorry for Josh, and because Cammie has to live life, Josh had to come in first…but Zach will come eventually!

Also, I just uploaded the first three chapters last night (3/16), and I've got the next two chapters tucked safely away on my hard-drive – away from all you Liz wannabes.

Thanks and comment!

Chapter 4

My heart starts to pound in my chest and my hands get sweaty. Even as a trained spy, I'm no trained girl. I can't look in Josh's direction, and I know he hasn't seen me yet. A townsperson has waved him over, and they're talking passionately in a corner.

"Earth to Cammie…helloo?" Molly is waving her thin arms frantically at me. I snap my attention back to the cashier and apologize as she hands me a tray. Her eyes stray over to Josh, and she gives me a knowing smile. I want to tell her that it's not like that, that I'm not nervous because I totally think he is cute – which is partially true, yet not the reason I've forgotten all of my spy lessons in this deli in Nebraska.

I manage to quietly slip into a chair and set the tray on an empty table far from Josh's line of sight. As I almost blend in like the chameleon I am, he turns around. He searches for someone, and I keep my eyes down. Molly keeps babbling about what we need to do when we go to the theater, but all I want to do is duck tape her mouth and become invisible. He sees me. He starts walking toward me.

"So there has to be a few cute boys hanging out at the theater, because it's like the only cool spot in town. And we'll just, y'know, walk over to them and – say, Cammie, who's the hottie? Oh my gosh. He's coming over here. Why is he coming over here, Cammie? Do you know him? Who is he, Cammie?"

She pulls my arm, but I pretend to not hear her. "Hm?"

"Hey." He says softly, his hands still tucked into the pockets of his jeans. His wavy hair has grown longer since the last time I saw him, and he looks at me from under his mop of brown hair. There's a slight smile on his lips, but it wavers, as if he's not sure just to walk away and ignore me.

"Hi," I say as calmly as I can. Why did they never teach us how to breathe at spy school? I don't know how to stop hyperventilating inside. I bite the inside of my cheek to keep myself seem normal. I am okay. I am fine. Josh couldn't do anything to me. I had spent a semester protected by the walls of Gallagher Academy, and no way was a brief, coincidental encounter with him in the middle of nowhere in Nebraska going to faze me.

"Hi!" Molly waves at Josh. He smiles and nods at her, then looks back at me.

"How are you?" His eyes seem to burn with millions of questions. Am I with Zach? Why did I leave him and Zach together in Roseville? Instead, I decide to answer the safest one.

"I'm great," I say. "I'm spending my summer here on my grampa's ranch in Nebraska. With my cousin Molly." I add the last part hesitantly.

"Nice to meet you, Molly," Josh replies automatically.

"It's always nice to meet nice boys like you," she smiles sweetly. Okay. First of all, since when was she sweet? And second, if this is what she called flirting, I am slightly scared about how I am going to spend this summer. "And you are?" she continues, not skipping a beat.

"This is Josh," I smile as sweetly as Molly. "He's my…friend."

Molly's eyes widen. "You have friends that are boys, Cammie? I thought you said you never talk to them!"

"I never said I never talk to boys," I roll my eyes, exasperated. "I said I don't usually see them at my school."

Josh is looking at us, unsure if he should stay serious or laugh. But he smiles at Molly and says, "I go to school in the same town as Cammie." He doesn't mention that I told him I was homeschooled. He also doesn't mention that we dated.

"Oh. So are you, like, as spoiled as Cammie?" Molly starts to bat her eyelashes at Josh. The girl needs a reality check. Now. Have I mentioned how glad I am that we are only a quarter related? Not that I'm proud that we are related at all.

"What?" Josh is confused. He's too polite to show exasperation with Molly, but fortunately for me, exasperation has stopped all my feelings of hyperventilation and anxiety. All I can feel is annoyance with Molly. I just want her throw her roll out the door – which she has barely touched – and tell her, cute boy, over there!

"Well, Cammie goes to this super snobby girls' prep school, so you probably go to the super snobby boys' prep school?"

He laughs. "No, actually, I'm just a normal high school kid. I go to Roseville High School."

"Oh my gosh! We're totally twinsies, I swear. I am a normal high school kid, too!"

"I can see that," I mutter under my breath, but Molly is too excited to hear me. Josh, on the other hand, gives me a look.

"We're going to the theater at three," Molly is saying. "Want to come?"

"Sure," he says, relieved of an excuse to see me without asking me. Then, he finally asks, "Molly, can I borrow Cammie for a moment?"

She looks at Josh, then me, then Josh again. Comprehension dawns on her face. "Oooh, I see. So you guys are," she leans in and whispers. "Friends?"

_What do you think?? Thanks for all the reviews! I love you all so much. I've been quite surprised by some of the predictions you guys have…please surprise me more! (And I'll try to do the same) Zammie fans, thanks for bearing with me, just wait :)!_


	5. Chapter 5

*Update* Sorry to drag y'all through another tedious chapter…but I promise it gets more exciting! (And sooner than you expect it) I had to give poor Josh a chance. Happy reading!

Chapter 5

"Yes, we are," I say quickly, as Josh opens his mouth. He shrugs. I get up from my chair and follow him out of the deli, where we walk along several shops in the town.

"I didn't know your grandfather lived here," Josh says after awhile. We sit on a wooden bench in the plaza.

I glance at him. Normal high school student. Normal teenage boy. His wavy hair blows in the hot summer air as he kicks his shoe into the dirt. I now knew that I could no longer connect myself with these normal people. I could say hi to them, of course, and make some idle conversation. But I couldn't involve myself in another relationship. It was too dangerous. And impossible. There were just so many things that Josh would never know about me. He had seen me as the religious, cat-loving homeschooled girl, a girl who simply didn't exist in me. And even if he was willing to try to get to know the real me, he could never learn who that person was. Because I was a spy, and not even all spies in the world could learn my true identity.

"You don't know a lot of things about me," I finally say. I trace a finger across the bench and look up to see his frustrated face.

"Of course I don't," he responds. "You pop into my town once every few months, for a different reason every time."

"What do you want, Josh?" I ask, cutting to the point. I don't want to hurt him. A normal teenage boy like him deserves a girl who loves him and is there for him. A girl like Dee Dee, with her all-American spirit and pinkness. She can be there for him all the time. I can't, because, as he pointed out, I pop into his life randomly.

When I return home, I need to remember to ask Macey to teach me, How to Talk to Normal Boys 101. Josh looks hurt, and I have absolutely no idea why. He takes a hand out of his pocket and runs it through his wavy hair. "Can't I just say hi, Cammie?"

Instead of directly answering his question, I decide to use humor. "Hi, Josh." A faint smile appears on his lips as he brushes away his hair from his eyes.

"Cammie, I –"

Molly comes skipping down the street, barging into our conversation, and for the first time, I am truly thankful that I have to spend the summer with her. "Cammie! Josh! I've been looking for you two forever," she draws out the last word. "It's already two thirty, let's go already!"

I give Josh an apologetic look while I silently breathe with relief. He's disappointed, but he rises from the bench as I start to follow Molly. I feel a hand on my arm. "Wait," he says.

Molly stops impatiently and starts to tap her foot. Letting go of my arm, Josh says quietly, "I'd love to come to the theater with you girls, but I can't. I have to…go." He waves a hand. "It was nice meeting you, Molly."

She pouts, twirling a strand of her strawberry blonde hair. "Do you have to go?"

"Yeah. Hey, Cammie," he turns to me. "Can we meet here tomorrow?"

So maybe I'm not saved from a dangerous conversation with the innocent boy. I smile at him. "Sure, that would be great," I lie. "Tomorrow, same time?"

He nods and starts to walk away. I can't watch his fading figure for too long because Molly starts to drag me over to the theater. "What. Took. You. So. Long." She huffs as she stomps over to the theater. "We. Had. A. Date."

As we purchase our tickets at the counter and enter the theater, I turn to her, annoyed. "What if I had a date with that guy? Huh, Molly?"

Her eyes widen, but before she can answer, a hand taps my shoulder. My spy instinct kicks in – the tap is too strong and urgent to be the tap of any normal person. Before I can even calculate the possibilities of who the tap could possibly belong to, and why I was tapped, I hear a voice. A very familiar voice.

"Hey, I have some extra M&Ms. Want some?"

_Now I want to know what you think will happen next… _


	6. Chapter 6

*Update* So here it is!! Sorry to leave you with a cliffhanger. But I'm evil, that's a fact. I took the liberties of adding more description to Zach…I hope you will like where the story goes. Maybe you envision Zach differently (Ally Carter never describes her characters in too much detail). But this is my story *insert evil grin* Enjoy!

Chapter 6

Zach dangles a slightly crinkled bag of plain M&Ms in front of my face. I wave the bag away from my face, too shocked to say anything. I can feel Zach's eyes burn through me as I grow beet red. I, Cammie Morgan and Gallagher Girl, am officially incapable of acting like a normal human being. Not to mention spy.

"I would," Molly says. "But I'm lactose intolerant." She smiles and bats her eyelashes at Zach, who is still looking at me intensely.

He turns to glance at Molly. "You must be deprived," he replies in a cool, neutral voice.

I've only seen Zach outside of school twice, so seeing him without a school uniform made me swallow the lump in my throat. He's wearing faded jeans that hug the contours of his hips and a thin white T-shirt that barely conceals his muscles. More tan than I remember, he continues to smirk at me with his blue eyes giving me that I-know-what-you-don't smile.

Without an introduction, he pointedly asks, "Do you want any?"

I shake my head, unable to respond for fear of saying something stupid.

"What? Cat got your tongue?" He grins as Molly laughs a little too loudly.

"Oh, you're so funny!"

I just glare at him, remembering how he knew about the non-existent Suzy, and he smirks more. "All right then, good candy wasted." He stuffs the bag into the right front pocket of his jeans and leans against the wall, crossing his toned arms.

"Do you take pleasure from teasing me?" I finally say. If he is going to play this game again, so be it. I just can't figure this guy out. Who are you, Zachary Goode?

He raises an eyebrow. "I'm a gentleman. I make a point of playing nice to strangers," he emphasizes the last word.

"If only the boys at my school were gentlemen like you," Molly pipes in. "My name's Molly, by the way."

Zach smirks at me, and then he angelically smiles at Molly. "I'm Zach. Isn't it funny that you can find gentlemen in Nebraska?" He turns his gaze back to me as he asks this question.

"Oh yes," Molly gushes. She starts talking about her prom date to Zach, who pretends to look interested.

Something isn't right. I may be a dumb girl, but I'm no stupid spy. So maybe seeing Josh in the middle of nowhere is a coincidence. But Zach? I look at him as he nods and responds wittily to Molly, but all the while he is too attentive. His shoulders are tense, and even though his head is turned toward Molly, the rest of his body is twisted the other way.

Zachary Goode isn't in Nebraska by accident.

…_and another cliffhanger! Yes I'm evil! But I'm so excited for the next chapter, I love it._


	7. Chapter 7

*Update* FINALLY the plot progresses after having to establish the setting for so long! This is my favorite chapter so far, and I'm quite proud of it. Please, please forgive any of my weird tense errors! Everything that I've put up here is first draft. No editing. Anyway, enough of me talking…Zammie!!

Chapter 7

As Molly continues to flirt with Zach (if you call batting eyelashes and gushing about the ex flirting), I can't help but panic at Zach's true intentions. He's not just casually hanging out here in a no-name theater. I realize that he hasn't called me by my name yet – not even Gallagher Girl. So what's the deal? Did my mom send him here to spy on me? Is this another surprise assignment where I'm supposed to strengthen relations with a member of a diverse group? Did Mr. Solomon send him to keep me on my toes for Covert Operations, now sub-level two? Did Dr. Smith send him? Perhaps Zach is really the bad guy after all.

But none of these theories explain the fact that Zach hasn't acknowledged that he knows me. Publicly. He hasn't even offered to introduce himself to me – he introduced himself to Molly after she batted her eyelashes at him. As I try to think of more possibilities, I wish that Bex, Liz, and Macey were here with me to start Operation Find Why Zachary Goode Is In Nebraska.

"And," Molly is saying. "Cammie here doesn't talk to boys. But she found this perfectly nice boy just now. Apparently they know each other. I need to ask Cammie later. Anyway, he was major cutie and super sweet. Gentlemen in Nebraska!"

"Oh?" Zach asks, with more interest.

"Yes," she continues happily.

I nudge her. "Molly? It's past three. I think we missed the movie."

She widens her eyes innocently. "What movie?"

"You know, the one you wanted to see so badly?" I start to get annoyed. If all the girls in Kansas were like Molly, it would explain why the boys were so lame.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she smiles. She flicks her strawberry blonde hair behind her back and, for the umpteenth time, bats her eyelashes.

"Molly," I say as calmly as I can allow myself. "We need to go." Zach surveys me, his smirk deepening as I clench my fists.

"Well, I should probably go offer someone else my candy. Someone who wants it." He takes a step away from the wall and stretches out his arms.

"So you go around offering random people M&Ms?" I ask, noticing his broad shoulders as he stretches.

"Of course. I'm a gentleman," he reminds me, his blue eyes taunting me. "It was such a pleasure to talk to you ladies. Molly, …" he pauses deliberately.

"Cammie," I snap. Really, is that necessary Zach? I grab Molly's arm. "Come on, let's go."

Zach starts to walk out of the theater, but he bumps into me clumsily. "Oops, sorry," he says. His fingers brush lightly across my palm, and I feel my heart flutter. Even after all he has done to me, after all his teasing and refusal to acknowledge me, I'm weak at the knees.

As he pushes the door open, he turns his head back and once again smiles that I-know-what-you-don't smile, his blue eyes searing into me. "I guess I'm just really clumsy, Kimmie." He points at himself, "Gentleman." And then he leaves, his snug jeans fading into the distance.

_Now do you see why I love this chapter so much? It's definitely one of my best *beams*_


	8. Chapter 8

*Update* DOUBLE CHAPTER SPECIAL! Since I haven't updated for awhile, and because the chapter I'm currently writing is pretty long, I decided to split it into two. The next few chapters (no way am I even close to done!) are going to come out more slowly since I've been really busy lately. Also, sorry if there are grammatical mistakes again, I rushed to get this one out to y'all! (: Thanks so much for reading and comment!

Chapter 8

"Oh my gosh," Molly squeals. "Hottie!" We're back on Grampa's ranch, after I had to drag Molly across town to find Grampa in the grocery store, and I've probably heard her squeal the word "hottie" in reference to a Zachary Goode for the past two hours.

"Yes. I know." I flip a page in Molly's newest copy of PEOPLE, only to see Macey herself staring at me.

"Macey McHenry," the article reads. "Dating Robert Pattinson?" I scoff and smile endearingly at the image of Macey, looking gorgeous in a plain black top and skinny jeans while scowling at the paparazzi. Just last week, US Weekly had paired Macey with Prince William. Bex had excitedly shown us the column while Macey rolled her eyes, and Liz, naïve as she can be, gaped and asked if Macey had really seen Prince William.

But here I am, stranded with my grandparents and Molly on a Nebraska ranch, along with the most impossible encounters with both Josh and Zach in the same day, reading about Macey's secret relationship with Robert Pattinson in PEOPLE. At the moment, I even wish that I didn't have spy training so I could block out Molly's words.

"I just cannot believe that hotties exist in Nebraska! If one slightly cute boy showed up, I'd have been happy! But hotties! I just cannot believe it!" She's lying on my bed, two slices of cucumber over her eyes.

"I can't believe it either," I say truthfully. The odds that I could see both Josh and Zach in Nebraska during summer…in the same day….were just so slim. I can't calculate them, of course, because I'm no Liz. But the circumstances are just so improbable. Yet it happened.

I get up and walk to the bathroom to change into more comfy clothes. Don't get me wrong, a tee and jeans are pretty comfortable, but a girl would much rather prefer to wallow around at home in pajamas. Unless that girl is Molly, who even undergoes the cucumber treatment. What a brave girl, I think to myself sarcastically.

As I throw my jeans onto the bathroom counter and pull on my sweats, a folded piece of paper falls onto the ground. Strange. Being a spy, I'm not a scatter-brained person, and I don't recall having a piece of paper in my jeans. Unless…

I open the folded piece of paper and read.

_Cammie –_

_Tomorrow. Two o clock. Stables. I'll explain._

It was brief, including all the necessary details and sparing no time to include anything revealing. There was no signature. Knowing that the message could have only been on Evapopaper, and not having the faintest idea of how Zach obtained such material, I place the piece of paper on my tongue.

I sit down on the bathroom floor and lean against the wall, hugging my knees. Do I really want to talk to Zach? Do I even want to see him? The humiliation of being called "Kimmie" still hurts me, especially after all that happened between us. I'm not that stupid about normal boy and girl behavior. I know that you're supposed to do something nice after you kiss someone, not to mention acknowledge the person. Maybe he was tired that day and kissed me by accident. Maybe he felt sorry for me.

That's it. He hates me. I bury my head in my hands. Ugh, how embarrassing! How painful!

"Cammie, I need to check my split ends!" Molly's head pops in as the door opens.

I wince at the sound of her voice, then my spy instinct kicks in. "Hey, how'd you get in? I locked the door!"

"What?" Molly widens her eyes innocently. "Oh, it was definitely open." She smiles sweetly and pushes her way into the bathroom. "I should have brought more conditioner. My hair is soo overheated."

I glance at her suspiciously. I know I locked that door because I wanted privacy. And this certainly isn't privacy. Molly's stupid to pick a lock anyway, since she cares so much about her split ends and lack of hair accessories. I get up, annoyed by the interruption in my solitude and creating an excuse to see Grampa about the broken door.

"And I so need to have amazing hair so I can do that whole gorgeous hair flick thing, you know, the kind you see in Hollywood movies? I just want to walk by a hottie, like that Zach kid, and throw my hair over my back. Yeah, that's me!"

My cheeks redden when I hear Zach's name. So Molly remembers. Of course. "Molly, I –"

"I am so glad we came here this summer. Oh my gosh. And you and that Josh boy! I totally need to get you two going." She squeezes out some gel from a tube and pats it over her strawberry blonde hair.

"Molly –"

"And, you know," she says as she opens another bottle and pours some cream onto her scalp. The bathroom starts to stink with all her lavishly fragrant hair care, from vanilla to cherry. Coughing, I put my hand on the doorknob, ready to leave once and for all. "We're going to town again tomorrow."

I jerk back and whip my head around. "What?"

"You didn't think we'd be locked up in this miserable house all summer? Honestly, Cammie. Hotties call."


	9. Chapter 9

Part 2 of DOUBLE CHAPTER SPECIAL

Chapter 9

I'm officially in a dilemma.

Okay…so it's not life or death, by Solomon standards. But it is pretty important. It being the dilemma I face: Josh and Molly, or Zach? The answer seems simple; who in his right mind would want to spend another day with Molly? Problem is, Grampa would sit me down, look me in the eye, and say, "Cammie, I know you and Molly aren't on the same footing, but we're all family. She's the closest thing you've got to a sister and you need to embrace that."

Right. Because Molly and I are totally related.

I sigh and turn over on the couch. I'm hiding in the loft, far away from everyone, without a clue about what I am to do about tomorrow. I decide to call one of my best friends. Liz? No, she's on some super science camp in New York. Bex? Probably scuba diving near the Bahamas.

I take out my cell phone, which is specially protected against any wiretapping or hacking, and punch in Macey's number. I'm only supposed to use the phone during emergencies, but I think this dilemma is definitely an emergency situation.

The phone starts to ring, and I ask, "Hel—"

"I already said I'm not dating Robert Pattinson, damnit! Linda, tell the effing paparazzi that I'm single! Asexual! Anything but him!"

"Uhh…Macey? Hello?"

"I have pre-tween girls hounding me and sending me death threats! Death – oh, Cammie? Is that you?"

"Yeah, hey, Macey. Robert Pattinson problems? I saw that in PEOPLE today."

"Stupid American society driving me crazy. I don't even know Robert Pattinson. And now I'm glad I don't, jeezus! Wait, Cammie, why are you on your phone? Are you in an emergency? What's wrong?"

"Well, uh, it's kinda an emergency. Not emergency, emergency, like super spy Code Black that kind of thing. It's more like Code Cammie."

"…Code Cammie?"

"Yeah, um, it's a long story."

"Yet you're calling me."

"Uhm…So I'm in the middle of nowhere and I just saw Josh and Zach."

"Ha. Right." Macey starts laughing on the other end. Then the laughing stops. "Wait, what?"

"Yup."

"You're kidding, right?"

"Nope. Honest by spy briefing regulations."

"Oh…god…"

"Yeah."

"So? What's going on? Why is this Code Cammie?"

"Well, Josh asked me out to, kind of, to talk at two tomorrow. And Zach left me an Evapo telling me to meet him at two tomorrow. Not to mention my stupid cousin Molly who I already told you out."

"The bimbo?"

"Yeah, her. She's hitting on Zach. Oh, and Zach pretended not to know me when he saw me in town. Even after our kiss."

"Jeez." I hear Macey sit down. "I thought the Robert Pattinson was bad enough."

"You do have the death threats."

"Tell me about it. So, how do you know it was Zach's Evapo?"

"Because he did a brush pass when he left us…he kinda almost held my hand, except not."

"And your hand tingled and everything even after he was a jerk?"

"Unfortunately. So there's my dilemma. Who should I ditch?"

"Why are you asking me?"

"Because you're Macey McHenry!"

"So?"

"You know boys! You understand them! Why did Josh ask me out? Why did Zach completely refuse to acknowledge my existence?"

"Cammie. Josh didn't ask you out. He just wants to talk. Maybe he's a nice boy?"

"Okay so Josh wants to talk to me. Fine. But Zach hates me!"

"What makes you say so?"

"He called me Kimmie after I introduced myself, Macey. Kimmie."

"Isn't this all very sketch to you, Cammie? Zach isn't revealing your or his identity outside of spy school. He doesn't hate you. He kissed you for a reason. He brush passed for a reason."

"What reason?"

"I don't know, you tell me."

"Macey! Stop being so mysterious."

I hear Macey smile through the phone. "You'll find out. My publicist is here, I gotta go. Good luck with Code Cammie."

"Fine, leave me when I need you!"

"Just do whatever you feel is right. Only you know what's best, Cammie. I'll talk to you later, bye!"

The phone clicks, and it's dead silent. Outside the loft, night has already arrived, and a few lights flicker across the ranch. Zach's nonchalant voice calling me Kimmie still rings in my ears. But then I remember his piercing blue eyes, as if he were pleading for me to understand, and his more gentle and soft smile when he said he was a gentleman. I remember his brief but electric touch, and I shiver. No, I can't pass up Zachary Goode.


	10. Chapter 10

*Update: I am SO sorry for not having updated sooner!! I just finished a ton of exams, and I've also been addicted to Buffy the Vampire Slayer recently…what can I say? Basically, I haven't been in the Gallagher Girl world for awhile, so I apologize if this is not the best chapter.

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10 minutes past two. I glance at my watch, sitting on a stack of hay. Spies are never late. Unless they are on an assignment by Mr. Soloman, and somehow they lead a really cute boy with M&Ms back to the Ruby Slippers exhibit. But, besides that, spies are never late – we have a running clock in our heads.

I get up and start pacing to and fro, contemplating all the different possibilities for Zach's tardiness. He wouldn't just write a secret note like that and be late to a meeting he himself specifically arranged. What if he got lost and couldn't find the stables? Impossible. He wanted us to meet here, so he would have known where to go. What if he got into an accident? It's not like I could find out quickly in the middle of nowhere in Nebraska. What if he got killed in that accident?

And then I think – what if he simply just ditched me? Maybe he doesn't like me after all, and set up a rejection just to send the message that he hates me.

And maybe I'm overthinking. I sit down on the ground, hugging my knees, and anxiously watch the road. Maybe this is a bad idea.

"Hey?"

I turn around, ready to reprimand Zach with an eloquent lecture, "Well, it took you long enough…" I halt when I finally see who is standing right in front of me.

"Hey," Josh smiles, awkwardly digging his feet into the dirt. "I got your note. Sorry I'm late. I'm guessing you don't like movies too much?"

"Note? What?" I stammer. I'm starting to think that I'm in a really bad dream, and that either Zach's note is part of this dream or I'm dreaming about Josh. There's absolutely no way Zach could have slipped an Evapopaper into my pocket telling me to meet him here, and Josh showing up here instead…unless…

"The note?" He smiles. "Thanks for the notice. It wasn't too last minute, actually. I was running a bit late."

"Oh?" I say, still confused. So Zach had tricked me after all. He hates me. Why else would he have sent Josh here? I cringe from humiliation and a tinge of pain. Spy love sucks.

"Well," he shifts his hands into his pockets. "I guess you wanted to talk?"

"Me? Talk?" I stare at him blankly, before I remember who I am. My spy skills kick in, and I smile. "I did, but it doesn't really matter now. Look, Josh --"

"Cammie, you know you can tell me anything." For a moment, it's as if he understands me, and I feel panicked that he knows who I am. It's as if he remembers what had been erased – as if he knows I am a spy. But then that flicker of recognition crosses his eyes, and the old look of oblivion and concern return.

"Right," I say, knowing all the irony in his statement. "It's just, I think you're a really great guy. But I don't think anything could ever happen between us. It's just that you deserve someone better. A girl like DeeDee, who is nice and well-mannered. Not me. You don't know me…at all." I'm blabbering now. All I can think is, Zach hates me. Zach _hates_ me. I turn to leave, but Josh grabs my arm.

"Wait, I don't understand." Oh Josh. He looks so sad and confused, and I just want him to be happy. Go home, Josh. Have a nice life. "Cammie," he says. "You told me missed me. And that you really needed to see me. So I'm here. And now…now you just tell me off? You really expect me to believe that?"

"What are you talking about? I never told you that I needed you. What happened between us, Josh, it was a long time ago. It's history. I've moved on." I kick my shoe into the dirt and strain my eyes, trying not to cry. Zach…

"You said you loved me," Josh says softly.

"I- what?!"

"On the phone? You left me a message a week ago, so I flew out to see you. You told me where you were and all. So I came."

I can feel my spy training wearing off and for the first time, I feel like a normal girl. Whatever normal feels like. I'm not sure if having your ex-boyfriend tell you that you confessed your love to him when you really didn't is normal. If it is, I'd rather be _ab_normal.

"Josh," I take a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I just, I don't think I was thinking clearly at the time. And, I just need some time to think now, okay? So, if you would just leave me alone right now…"

"Is it that Zach guy? Did he hurt you? Cammie, I'll try to get to know you better. I promise! But you have to listen to me. Trust me!"

"No, if you want my trust, just give me some space and let me think. Really." My voice wavers, and my knees are about to buckle. I know I can't hold this up any longer, so I run away from him, back to the ranch. The tears start coming, and I quickly wipe them away. Why are you doing this to me, Zach?


	11. Chapter 11

*Update* Sorry to put in some drama, guys. I know this story is labeled as humor, but I thought I should mix in a little of both so that it's not just fun and games. GALLAGHER GIRL BOOK 3 IS OUT SOON!!!

Also, I'm going to respond to several of your comments here. You can scroll down past the line to read the story.

OutsideJokes – I _love_ Angel! His dark and brooding nature is so sexy. I'm kind of sad he left the original Buffy series, because I really wish he and Buffy could have ended up together.

Anonymous – I'm not the biggest Robert Pattinson fan, and I'm not Edward Cullen's greatest fan either, but I do love Edward and I think Robert did a fantastic job. :P Also, thanks for pointing out that problem; I agree, Josh is completely out of character since I was out of touch with the story for so long.

Thanks to everyone else for the amazing, supportive comments! I don't think I could have written this much without your encouragement and reviews. My friend also told me about this site - . . It's very motivational if you are trying to reach a certain number of words. Try it.

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As I near the house, I realize how exhausted I am. I decide that the very first thing I'll do when I get inside is take a long, hot shower. Ugh. It's the summer, and it's hot already. Great. So I'll have to do with a cold shower that will only make me feel worse. Ice cream? That would work. If we had any.

I step into the cool foyer and immediately head for the kitchen. Opening the freezer, I notice a few gallons of ice cream. Score! Vanilla…coffee…chocolate. I take out the chocolate and open the container, then stick a spoon in. Hmm…now this is better.

I walk towards my room with my huge container of ice cream when I hear laughter. That's strange. I thought no one was here. The living room door is open, so I stick my head in and call out, "Hello? Grampa?"

Grampa's holding his sides as he laughs uncontrollably, sitting across from a tall old man and…Zach. I drop the spoon that I'm holding, and everyone turns to look at me.

"Uh…hi," I say awkwardly, bending to pick up the spoon. Great. This is just great. Zach hates me, and I'm making a fool out of myself. Count on Cammie to be the village idiot!

"Oh, hi Cammie!" Grampa gets up from his chair as the old guy and Zach rise. He eyes my container of ice cream and then my disheveled state. "Is anything the matter?"

"No! Nothing at all! Just the usual, you know, trying to avoid the heat." I try to slyly fix my hair. Wow, all those years of spy training and I'm still an awful liar. "It is pretty hot, you know." Did I mention what a fool I am?

"It is," Zach confirms, winking at me. What a jerk. He still has the nerve to flirt with me after standing me up.

"Good choice. Chocolate is my favorite flavor, too." The old guy smiles at me, and I smile back.

"Oh, I haven't introduced you yet! Cammie, this is," he gestures to the old guy. "- my old friend from school, James Horowitz."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," he says, shaking my hand. "Your grandfather speaks so highly of you, young lady."

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Horowitz," I smile more than I mean to, only because Zach is smirking at me next to the old guy.

"Please, call me Jimmy." He turns to Grampa and remarks, "She sure looks a lot like your daughter, Dan."

So maybe I'm not such an idiot after all, if the old guy who just saw me walk in like a psycho with a huge container of ice cream thinks I look like my gorgeous mother. What a compliment! I beam, but the smile is wiped off my face when I see Zach's smirk.

"And this is Zachary Goode," Grampa gestures to Zach. "He is Jimmy's grandson."

"Hey," Zach smiles, the corners of his mouth lift up, and I can't help but notice his nice lips. Cammie! I reprimand myself and glare at Zach. "Oh," he says, surprised. "Well, it's nice to meet you, too."

He's wearing a bright blue t-shirt and khakis. He's also freshly showered. I can smell the scent of clean soap and musky shampoo as I eye the way his dark hair is perfectly ruffled. He's not looking at me, and I can tell he's trying hard not to, but he turns his gaze to me. It's an intense, smoldering gaze that melts me, and I instantly blush.

"Cammie?" Grampa asks.

"Huh? Oh, yes I heard you. You were saying that Jimmy and that guy" – I point at Zach as revoltingly as I can – "were going to stay here for awhile, so you and Jimmy can catch up, and because the grandson is visiting Jimmy, he brought him…" I trail off, having only realized what I just said. Zach is staying at my house? Is this some kind of joke? Is Fate trying to punish me? I didn't do anything. I swear! Other than stalking Zach and his friends occasionally, and maybe stalking Josh as well, and breaking a few laws in the process, but I'm a spy! Those crimes should be forgivable!

"So Jimmy is going to stay in the guest room, and because you and Molly are already staying in other rooms, Zach can make himself at home in this room. We'll make it nice. So sorry we couldn't have better accommodations," Grampa continues.

"Well, Molly could move into my room, so Zach could…" I grimace at the idea of Molly and I staying in the same room. I would strangle her. Big time.

Grampa winks at me, and Zach, reading my mind, grins, "It's no problem. The couch seems pretty comfy." He looks at me, smiling, and I blush. What nerve!

"All right, then it's settled," Grampa says. He peers at the container of ice cream that I had forgotten about. "Say, Cammie, I think a few chocolate stains may appear in a matter of seconds."

"Oh!" I quickly jump off the carpet. "I'll just go put this away."

"I'll help you," Zach offers, following me into the kitchen. When we enter the kitchen, Zach takes the ice cream container from my hands and sets it on the counter next to us. He quickly scans the room, and checks behind him.

"Zach –" I say, preparing myself to get angry with him, to yell at him for all he has done. Before I realize what is even happening, he brushes a lock of hair behind my ear and gently holds his hand at the side of my cheek. Then he leans in and kisses me.


	12. Chapter 12

*Update*

Thank you for all the reviews!! I hope everyone has enjoyed their summer thus far…

Confession: I have NOT read the third GG book yet, because I have not had the time yet. Please, no spoilers!! I do know Zach is in it (: Yay!

Enjoy, and review!

For a moment, I can't feel anything. I can't think. It's like time has stopped, and my brain…has melted into a non-functioning entity. Mush. Yet my lips continue to move in, pressing against his soft ones, and I inhale his clean, musky smell. Just then, blood starts flowing into my brain, everything comes rushing back, and I remember where I am.

"Zach!" I snap, pulling my lips away from his and pushing him away. His arms are still locked around my waist, so I struggle to release myself from his iron grip. Believe me, it's not an easy task. We're talking about a guy who has been trained for years in a special spy school to catch the CIA's most wanted criminals.

His eyes remain closed, and a faint smile lingers as he relaxes his muscles and rests his head on my shoulder. "Cammie," he says softly. My stomach flutters and I can almost feel my heart jumping out of my chest. I try to imagine the sight of us, a tall, dark-haired boy with movie-star looks hunched over a very strange girl making weird faces and turning scarlet. The image is so hilarious that I want to laugh, but I remember the gravity of this situation and immediately become serious.

"Zach," I say with the most severe tone possible. "If you don't get off me in three seconds, I'll…I don't know what I'm going to do to you, but you will face disastrous consequences." I try to push him off, yet his iron grip remains.

"Disastrous, huh?" he murmurs into my shirt. Just for the record, I am never washing this shirt. Ever.

"One!" I call. I eye the spoon in the ice cream container on the counter.

"What are you going to do to me, Morgan, if I refuse to give you up?" He cracks open one eye and grins at me.

"Two!" I ignore him and reach for the spoon, as slyly as possible.

"Don't you ever learn? Code 30AC, once you catch the rule-breaker, bring him home." He holds me tighter, and I can feel his muscles moving beneath his shirt. I gulp.

"Two and a half!" I cry.

"You're supposed to be on three."

"Okay, three!" I whack his head with the spoon, and he immediately releases his iron grip. I whip around, kick him in the shins, and grab the ice cream container. "I really," I close the freezer and throw the spoon into the sink, "dislike you."

Although he's wincing on the kitchen floor, he manages to smirk at me. "Dislike?"

"Yes, dislike," I say matter-of-factly. "Hate is too strong a word. So I dislike you, Zachary Goode."

"Why'd you hit me on the head, Morgan? Didn't you ever learn that the head is the most sensitive part of the body? You could have given me a concussion and killed me. Even the normal citizens know that."

"Exactly. You wouldn't have let go if I hit you elsewhere. Not as important to you as your arrogant head." I wipe the counter clean of the chocolate puddle that had been created during our fiasco.

"My arrogant head," he counters, "cares about my fine body as well, thank you very much. These muscles would appreciate a little attention. They do require some extraordinary training in order to become so fine." He grins at me and puts out his arms. "Hey, rule-breaker, help me up."

I start to leave the kitchen and smile to myself. "Hey, I'm appreciating your muscles," I call out behind me. "They probably wouldn't mind showing off with the minimal energy required to get off that floor and start walking."

I enter my room and close the door, then sink down to the floor. My heart is still beating abnormally…and my mind…well, it's gone to Cloud Nine. Zachary Goode has arrived.


	13. Chapter 13

*Update* The biggest apology could not make up for my negligence to this story! I am so sorry I have not update in months; it's been extremely busy for me. Since my last chapter in August, I entered my FIRST year of college (absolutely the best educational institution ever, but I'm not going to reveal it for privacy reasons) and hence it's obviously been hectic. (Confession #1: I love reading children's books and good young adult fiction still.) My first semester is ending – in five days, after these damn finals…and yes, I am guiltily procrastinating on the Nietzsche – so I will finally have time to write during my lovely winter break and post more regularly! Confession #2: I have still not read GG3 yet, but I intend on reading it right when finals end. Because I am really out of touch with the series, I apologize ahead of time if this is an awkward and weak chapter. By the way, I have thoroughly enjoyed watching the British X-Factor, so you should go watch it! Now I'll stop writing about myself…Please review as usual, and thank you so much!

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Today is officially the worst day of my life.

Fitness days at the Gallagher School? Not even close. Believe me, fitness days are horrifying enough: we don't do your usual wimpy run-a-mile-as-long-as-you-want-and-you'll-earn-some-kind-of-badge or the so-called flexibility test where you reach out your arms and pretend to be under enormous strain as you just almost near your toes by a few inches. Seriously, people should earn Oscar nominations for pretending to be under that kind of strain. But you get the point. Our fitness days are the ultimate Gladiator-kind-of-test. We have to do all these different kinds of backflips with strange names – take that for flexibility. And they give us real obstacles to work around, like jumping from roof to roof and running miles through a construction jungle. It's just like what you see in movies. But we're the real thing, and better than James Bond.

Or all the failed spy simulations with Mr. Solomon? Failure is the worst because you are left with this gutted feeling at the bottom of your stomach that you not only failed Mr. Solomon, but everyone. The country, the world even. Because as a spy, your underlying duty is to protect the people you are working for, and if you fail, well…disaster happens. It's not just a big fat F on an Algebra test; it's a real life or death scenario.

But I am way beside the point. Today is unbelievably and monstrously surreal, a page out of the worst-Doomsday-scenarios-in-Cameron-Morgan's-life-book. First, Josh, not, as I expected, Zach, meets me and declares his love for me. I'm not sure how I feel about that. I've got a lot of important things on my mind, okay? Second, Zach and his grandfather are staying at my grandfather's house. I repeat, Zach is staying at the same house I am currently living in this summer. Zach will be in near vicinity. This is totally different from him staying at my school. This is me, waking up every morning with bedhead and nasty morning breath, and potentially bumping into …Zach. This is me, walking around in pajamas (on second thought, no way) and sans primping a few feet away from the guy I just kissed. This is me, having to eat with him at the same intimate table, and pretend everything is okay because our grandfather are just good 'ol friends.

And it's a nightmare. I've only survived a few hours, but already this is the longest day of my life. I'm sitting here, trying to eat my ribs as cleanly and beautifully as possible. Instead, I look like a complete trainwreck, with barbeque sauce dribbling off one corner of my mouth as I hastily wipe it off with my napkin for the nineteenth time. Zach is eating across from me, perfectly composed and clean, as he neatly cuts the meat off the bones and puts the meat into his mouth without any sauce dribbling down his jaw. His very nice and well-defined jaw, I must add. And those lips…

Oh, God. Must not think about the arrogant boy across from me. But when I turn my attention to the conversation at the table, the situation is not any better. Molly is laughing so loudly that her forced, high-pitched squeals beat against my eardrums so that I'm almost deaf. She is literally yelling into my ear, so I won't be surprised if I become deaf and can never be a spy by the time I leave this table.

"Jimmy, you are just so funny!" She squeals uncontrollably again. Hardy har har. I imitate Molly to entertain myself, pretending to laugh with a pinched face. My grandfather looks at me sternly, but neither Molly nor Jimmy notice. Zach, however, raises a perfectly arched eyebrow and kicks me under the table.

"Ow!" I cry, because Zach is one pain-inflicting kicker. Molly whips her head towards me in a flicker of annoyance.

"Really, Cammie, do they not teach you how to properly eat your ribs in Smallville?" She straightens her back and smiles sweetly at me while batting her eyelashes at Zach. "See, Cammie, you're cutting it the wrong way. That's why you hurt yourself. And, oh, darling, there's some sauce on your cheek."

Darling? Really? Have I mentioned this is the worst day of my life? I'd rather go run some suicides for fitness day.

"In Roseville." I feel obliged to correct her obvious and intended snub at my hometown.

"I'm sorry?"

Her superficially saccharine demeanor will not rub off on me. "Roseville. Not _Small_ville. I am from somewhere that is important to a lot of people, including me. There may be a Smallville where you live."

Jimmy and Zach seem to be enjoying our feud, while Grampa clears his throat. "Now, girls –"

"Oh, I'm sorry. There are just so many other important places, you know. I'm from LA, so I wouldn't know about a Smallville, darling."

Zach smirks, and he winks at Molly. "So, darling, what is Roseville like?" Now Jimmy raises an eyebrow at Zach, which he conveniently pretends to ignore.

I glare at him. Is it possible to loathe someone you just kissed and left you on Cloud Nine? Loathe him with so much passion that you want to practice your newly learned defense move from spy school by punching his stupid smirk from his face?

"It is lovely," I say tersely.

"I wouldn't imagine," Molly huffs, "because there would be absolutely nothing to do in Smallville."

"Roseville." Or should I punch Molly's eyes that bat eyelashes at Zach? He doesn't deserve such attention.

"It would be so boring. I mean, just the guys. L.A. has delicious eye candy everywhere because it's Hollywood, duh. But Smallville has, like, no boys. Probably like five." The more she talks with that shrill and pedulant voice, the more I want to kick her entire face away from the map of the universe. Round-house kick, ten stars!

"_Rose_ville," I grit through my teeth, "has more than several thousand people. I don't think there could possibly be several thousand females and just five males."

Jimmy and even Grampa are stifling laughter at us, stealing glances at each other throughout our fight as they quickly look away to prevent uncontrollable hysterics. Zach lazily leans back in his chair and seems amused, as his eyes dart back and forth between Molly and me as if watching a tennis match on TV. I can't help think that he looks amazing in his simple white v-neck t-shirt that reveals the bulge of his chest muscles and is wrapped snugly around his abs. His dark hair falls softly over his forehead, a huge contrast to his short buzz cut from school as he has let his hair grow. For a moment, his mesmerizing blue eyes meet mine, and he smiles, the corners of his mouth barely lifting. My heart pounds, just as I remember I am supposed to want to punch him very badly.

"I wouldn't survive. I don't know how you survive, darling. But then again you have that yummy boy, Josh. You two are so adorable. I'm not sure why someone like him, who should end up on an Abercrombie and Fitch catalog, but the kind where they model country boys, because he'd never pass up for a gorgeous L.A. hunk...anyway, why someone like him would go for someone like you. Not that you're not pretty, darling, just that you'd never be near, never, Hollywood standards. One of these days we girls should get together and I'll do your make-up the right way. And your hair! Oh my god, the frizz –"

But I'm no longer listening. Her obnoxious babbling has long been blocked out of my system. Instead, I look across and Zach is no longer leaning back in his chair looking amused. For a split second that is barely noticeable except by the trained spy eye, he seems hurt. Then, he leans back in his chair again, but he longer seems as relaxed. This time, he smiles at Molly, who suddenly stops blabbering and bats her eyelashes at him ten times faster. She should be sent to a mental asylum. Isn't she going to injure her eyes? There should be laws against batting your eyelashes this much.

I can't help but wonder why Zach seemed disturbed when Molly brought up Josh. It's not like Josh and I are actually together anymore. Zach knows that. So what's the big deal?

Zach doesn't look at me for the rest of the dinner. Molly doesn't stop squealing. And I can think is that I want this day to be over – not even a spy girl could handle this much.


	14. Chapter 14

*Update* Re-watching Gilmore Girls, and how many times need I say that I love Jess? Who, by the way, coincidentally reminds me of a Zachary Goode. Here's the next chapter!*

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But it does get worse.

Grampa and Jimmy, after dinner, tell "us kids" not to worry about cleaning the dishes, why don't we go out to town and catch a movie tonight? (Like there is anything else to do in this seriously Smallville town.)

I think of multiple excuses. The usual – I'm tired, I'm not a movie buff, or even the classic you-know-it's-that-time-of-the-month which makes all males back off. I even think of upgraded spy excuses, like I have a secret mission to save the world so I obviously can't afford to go to a movie with my shallow and shrill cousin. But I would never say the latter, because first I'd reveal my spy identity and become a blacklisted spy, and second I'd be kicked out of the house for acknowledging Molly's obnoxiousness.

I can't even use the usual excuses, though, because _lovely_ Molly starts batting her eyelashes at Zach and squeals, "Totally!" I'm about to say no, I can't because I'm going to turn into a zombie after Josh's confession, Zach's kiss, and Molly's stupid squeals all night (well, I wouldn't really say that). But as Zach just nods his head as if he doesn't care, Grampa and Jimmy push us out the door and off we are to go "catch a movie tonight."

Honestly, no one needs to send me to a mental asylum, because I _live_ in one. With a delusional cousin and a deranged, but sexy – oh no, I did not just say that – spy boy, and the worst caretakers ever. I bet the only reason why Grampa and Jimmy want us to go see a movie is so they can have the house to themselves and drink the night away while catching up on the good 'ol times. I think my own welfare, and sanity, is way more important than them luxuriously treating themselves to hazardous alcohol. Seriously!

As Zach climbs into the driver's seat of Grampa's truck and Molly immediately squishes her neon pink tush in the passenger seat next to him – she's wearing these ugly pink shorts with the words "Girlicious" emblazoned in white on her butt --, I resign myself to the backseat. At least I'm further away from the both of them. Molly gabs away and bats her eyelashes at Zach, flicking her strawberry blonde hair in the most atrocious way. She's going to lose all her hair prematurely just by throwing her head about so violently. And Zach, that jerk, is actually responding to her with interest, smiling and nodding politely. Since when does Zach smile? And since when is he polite?!

I hope this is a dream, but before I can pinch myself to make sure, Molly pinches me. "Earth to Cammie! Hellooo!" Okay. So it's not a dream.

"What!" I snap. I am this close to punching both of them…1, 2…

"Zach asked you a question? And you can't even be polite and respond?" She huffs and then purrs adoringly at him. Yes. She purrs. And she makes a face that she thinks is seductive, in which she looks up at him from under her eyebrows and pouts – she looks like a toad with Botox-injected lips.

"What?" I ask again, less snappish this time.

"I wanted to know what movie you want to see, Kimmie." He looks at me in the rear-view mirror with feigned apathy. His face is inscrutable, not even a hint of a smirk there.

I don't miss the last part. "How about, 'Tonight is the Worst Night of My Life'? Actually, I hear 'Today is the Worst Day of My Life' is ten times better."

"Is that a new movie? Like, a sequel to Epic Movie or something?" Molly twirls a lock of her hair around her finger. Oh my God. What is her IQ, negative twelve? Not that a sub-zero IQ is possible, or anything close to zero, but she seriously is that stupid and would have an IQ that low.

"You know what I think?" Zach says, his face even more inscrutable. He looks angry, hurt even. I've never seen him like this before.

"I don't want to know what you think," I mutter under my breath, as Molly purrs again, ever more disgustingly – "Yes darling?" she pouts.

"I heard the new action movie is pretty good, but I don't know if it's in the local theater." Did he just ignore what I said? He can't possibly have not understood what I just meant. He's not as stupid as Molly, for he's a spy.

"Like I said," I say more slowly this time. "'Today is the Worst Day of My Life' sounds good right now."

"The newest action movie? Great. We'll watch it. If it's in the theater." Zach looks straight ahead as we near the theater.

Honestly, what is his problem? First, he goes about kissing me right before he leaves the Gallagher School, when I don't even know if I'm ever going to see him again. Then, I do see him again, but he ignores me completely, even pretending not to know who I am in front of Molly. Yet he kisses me again when we're alone in the kitchen at Grampa's house, as if he never ignored me in the first place. And now, he ignores me _again_, as if he never kissed me in the first place. Seriously. Boys. I will bow down to whoever speaks boy code – and is a girl.

I decide, after a few moments of resentful contemplation during which Molly babbles on about her high school in L.A. to Zach, that I'm going to play Zach's game. Who cares about Zach? Ha, ha, ha. What a joke. What a bastard!

We reach the town, and as we all pile out of the truck, Molly stops to look at her reflection in the window. She pats her hair adoringly and pouts her lips.

I roll my eyes. "Molly, go ahead and stand there as the years pass by and we'll have to watch 'The Past 50 Years Were the Worst Years of My Life." I feel Zach's eyes searing through me, but I ignore him. Hey, who says I can't speak boy code now?

She finally moves away from the truck and we head towards the theater. It's not very crowded; there are only a few people outside near the ticket booth. I sigh, remembering that I'm in Smallville, Nebraska.

As Zach pays for our tickets – to the newest action movie --, I glance at the people around us. There's a few elderly folks laughing and vivaciously conversing and several teenagers talking loudly and texting on their cell phones. I look to my left and see a young couple taking a stroll. Why they would choose to take a stroll around the ticket booth makes no sense to me, but I don't think about it twice because it _is_ Smallville. And, jeez, what's with their clothes that look like they're from an old catalog that someone Grampa's age would order from? I mean, the girl's faded flower-print dress with a high collar is kind of pretty, but she could at least try to dress from this millennium. I guess that's how they dress around here.

Zach walks toward us and hands us our tickets. "So we arrived in the nick of time because the show's going to start in 10 minutes. I'm going to get popcorn and drinks, so what do you girls want?"

Molly flips her strawberry blonde hair. "I'm lactose intolerant, so I can't have popcorn. Just water, please." She smiles, and adds, "Merci. Oh, I need to use le toilette," in the worst French accent I've ever heard. Madame Dabney would not be pleased.

She prances away towards the bathroom. Great. "I guess I'll just go get our seats," I mutter to Zach.

"You haven't told me what you want yet." He's still looking at me with that strange searing gaze, and as soon as I feel my heart flutter, I forget about speaking boy code.

"Oh." I say lamely, shrugging my shoulders.

"You could wait in line with me, Morgan, and meanwhile decide what you want." He emphasizes the last few words, but I don't know what he means. What does he mean, what do I want? Popcorn? A coke? Him?

"Oh," I say again lamely, only thinking that I must speak boy code as soon as possible. Liz should program that code into me stat. If only it were possible. "Okay."

I awkwardly stand next to him in line, suddenly aware that I'm only a few inches away from him. My hands get warm and clammy, and I start to sweat. I try breathing slowly, only to choke pathetically in the process.

"You okay?" Zach turns his blue eyes on me, and a faint smile appears on his lips.

"Yeah," I say miserably, completely embarrassed. He looks at me again, this time with that I-know-what-you-don't smile. But this time it doesn't annoy me. His eyes are gentle, and I know he's trying to tell me something, but I don't understand. "What?"

In a swift, almost unnoticeable move, Zach lightly brushes my hair behind my ear and traces the contour of my cheek. His hands, still warm from walking outside, fall to his side. His lips then brush across the side of my ear, sending shivers across my spine. "I'm not ignoring you, Gallagher Girl," he whispers quickly, barely dipping his head down near mine. "It shouldn't be the worst day of your life. I'm trying to watch your back, but you have to watch out. For Molly." He suddenly turns his head away and looks ahead, then says normally, "Do you want a medium or large popcorn?"

I look quickly behind me, but I'm too late. Molly is standing in the doorway of the bathroom, staring directly back at me.


	15. Chapter 15

*Update* I am the Queen of Cliffhangers! *evil laugh* Oh, I wish. I'm sure Ally Carter is the Queen of Cliffhangers in Gallagher Girl Land.

So I've reread my entire story and noticed that recently the characters have been a little out of their original character according to Ally Carter…which I'm not sure is good or bad. There's definitely a different side to Zach, but I'm working on bringing back the old Zach we love so much. And yes, I know I made a mistake about Zach's eyes – they're green, not blue! Even better! – but I'm going to stick with what I wrote earlier. Enjoy! Please review! Thank you!!

* * *

Then everything is a blur.

Molly makes a beeline for the theater doors, and Zach chases her. I run after Zach, completely bewildered and confused. Fortunately for Molly, there's a sizeable crowd of people outside the theater, and she quickly disappears into the dark as we try to maneuver our way through the crowd. As I pant after Zach, who is running at Olympic speed, because I haven't had a workout in days, I try to piece together the jumbled thoughts in my head. Watch out for Molly? My superficial, squealing, eye-batting cousin who is lactose intolerant and has an IQ below zero? Maybe Zach's gone insane. Maybe the mental asylum of my Grampa's house, with Molly screeching all the time, has gone to his head.

"Morgan, run faster or I'm leaving you behind! We're losing her!" Zach yells.

"You mean we're losing my bimbo cousin? Hallelujah! I never thought this day would come!" I yell back.

Zach stops suddenly and takes long strides back towards me. "Gallagher Girl," he says sternly and as softly as possible, so only I can hear. "Do you take the meaning of a 'vacation' seriously during your summers? Because it seems like you've lost everything. Todo."

I glare at him, but I can't think of a comeback. Damn. He might be right, for once.

"Molly Morgan is not your bimbo cousin," he darts his eyes back and forth, checking our dark surroundings.

"She's not my cousin? Hallelujah!" I rejoice cheerfully.

He grips my shoulder. "She is your cousin. She's just not a bimbo. If anything, you're the bimbo," he adds under his breath.

"Okay, Zach, what's the deal?" I try to remove his hand from my shoulder, but his iron grip remains.

"What's the deal? Seriously, Gallagher Girl, did you just empty your brain into a beaker and leave school, saying 'hello to sub-zero IQ!' as summer began?"

I don't respond. What a jerk. He needs to remove that hand immediately. Immediately, or I'll roundhouse kick him. I'm almost positive he'll punch me back before I kick him, but still. The thought counts.

"Molly Morgan is a spy," he finally says.

"What?" I know what he just said, and I'm repeating what he said to myself, but I'm not quite sure what it means because it's not quite going into my head.

"How thick are you, Gallagher Girl? I pass you and instead of seeing you, I somehow bump into her. Not one of my best moments. And, unless you also forgot what a pass is, I fail to see how you didn't figure this out yourself earlier. And tell me why Jimmy is here. Tourist trip? Right. Visiting the relatives? Nebraska?" he says sarcastically.

"Jimmy's with you," I say automatically, only to remember who "Jimmy" is.

"No. _Jimmy_," he emphasizes, as if I would know just by the tone of his voice, but I do know, unfortunately. "Tell me you figured this out already." He taps the side of my forehead, as if trying to figure out if anything is in my head.

And I honestly don't think anything _is_ in there. Molly? A spy? I mean, I figured the whole pass thing was weird, and the Josh thing? Totally bizarre. But I thought Zach was fooling around, intentionally. "I actually didn't," I groan miserably. "I thought you were the culprit."

"You think I'd want to waste time to play jokes on you, of all people? I'd never waste my time like that on you," he smirks.

My spy skills kick in. "Okay, so why are you standing here, not chasing after her?"

"Because," he taps the side of my head again, "if you were still capable of thought processing, you'd know that chasing after her is a dead end. She has to get home, somehow, and that has to be through us, and if she has someone else to go to, I certainly haven't heard any car noise. So unless she'd run back, possibly with someone, in the dead of the night in the middle of nowhere, she'd be crazy. Which she is, but, she has to be here somewhere. Hiding until we give up and leave."

"Sure," I say, because what he says is actually reasonable. "But where could she be in this town in the middle of nowhere?"

"We have to assume she knows the place better than we do," Zach begins. "She wants to blend in, but she doesn't want anyone to discover her." As he contemplates where she could be, I see the young couple out of the ancient catalog again. Seriously, that girl needs a better dress. And the guy could do without that weird checkered pull-over.

There's a tap against my head. "Knock, knock, anyone there?" Zach is smirking at me.

"Disgruntled girl who will wake up from this dream is here," I mutter. "What now?"

"What do you mean, what now? We have a mission, Gallagher Girl." He starts walking back towards the theater.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm going to find your cousin, Molly."

"Seriously, why does it matter if she's a spy?"

"Because of your family history, Morgan." He walks even faster.

"And how would you know my family history?" I ask.

There's a beat before he responds. "I don't. I just figured, from you and your mom."

I know he's lying, but before I can find out more, I realize we're back at the theater, and he's opening the door.

"Zach –"

He strides forward, towards the bathrooms. The girls' bathroom? What? He opens the door and walks right into the girls' bathroom, and declares, "Molly Morgan, out." Just like that.

"Zach, what do you think you're doing?" I start to push him out of the bathroom. "This is the girls' bathroom."

But then the door to a stall opens, and Molly comes out. She looks like a mess, her eyes red and her hair downtrodden. Zach hauls the garbage can in front of the door so that no one can get in.

"All right, Molly Morgan, who are you?" Zach asks, leaning against the wall. He folds his arms and stares at her with a blank but sternly invincible expression. Wow. I could totally see him in the CIA, questioning America's most wanted criminal.

She falls down to the ground and sobs. "Don't blow my cover, I beg of you!"


	16. Chapter 16

*UPDATE* Hi everyone, I'm really sorry I haven't updated in so long. It's been SEVEN MONTHS – can't believe it! Time is passing by so quickly. I really will try to crank out a few chapters and wrap up this story by the end of this year. Meanwhile, I hope this story has satisfied your Gallagher Girls fix as you wait for the next book!

I have NOT read the latest book (GG4), so please NO SPOILERS. Thanks a lot.

Enjoy reading and please comment!

"Please don't tell anyone, no one! I told them that I just wanted to live a normal life for once. And they said that it was totally crazy, that I had a project to finish, but I insisted. And because I have blackmail of them – which is why they should totally never party with me -, they gave in, on the condition that I totally disguise myself, which I obviously agreed to, because I don't want to be walking around anywhere as myself, that would just defeat the entire purpose of living a normal life. So now I'm here."

"Molly, what are you talking about?" Zach asks, completely bewildered.

"I'm not Molly, I'm not your cousin, Cammie, I'm only pretending to be, and she's back in L.A. anyway, being the actual ditz. She let me pretend to be her, so here I am. I'm Sam, but oh my God, I wish you didn't know that already, and now I have to leave, because you're probably going to tell the whole world anyway," she blabbers on.

"Molly, what in the world are you talking about?" I repeat, equally bewildered.

"I can't believe I've blown my cover! Guys, you don't have to pretend like you don't know and then suddenly tomorrow I wake up and find the press all around me. I know you're going to say something, no matter how much I plead you guys not to." Then, she pulls on her hair, and I gasp, as all her strawberry blonde hair falls from her head.

"A wig?" I cry aloud, flabbergasted. Chestnut tresses bounce off her shoulder as she then pulls off her bushy blonde eyebrows to reveal perfectly arched dark ones. By this point, I'm not sure what is going on. I look at Zach, and he looks just as confused.

"I had to stand forever in front of the truck earlier to fix my wig because it was falling off my head. And then I had to go to the bathroom again at the theater just to check it again. And that's when I saw you two talking to each other really seriously, and Zach turned away as if he were guilty of something, and you looked at me in shock as if you just found out."

What is she talking about?

Zach peers at her and suddenly realization dawns upon him. "No way," he says.

"Yeah, the wig and the bushy eyebrows were really weird, and my agents even told me it wasn't enough to keep people from noticing, but I told them it was Nebraska, who would know? Seems like I was wrong," she says sadly.

"You're Sam Carrington?" Zach blurts out.

Sam Carrington? Why does the name seem familiar? "Yeah," she says. Then, she jolts back. "Wait, why was that a question?"

"Sam Carrington?" I say aloud. Had I heard Macey mention a Sam Carrington before?

"Oh my God," Molly – Sam? – starts. "So you didn't know? I blew my own cover?'

Was Sam Carrington a famous spy? But I would have remembered…

Zach laughs. Why is Zach laughing? Isn't Molly – Sam – dangerous? "Yeah, we didn't know. I only just figured after what you've been saying, and I recognize you from that one movie."

"Please don't say the zombie one," she grimaces.

"The zombie one," Zach continues. "You know, where you play the innocent little girl, and you –"

"You're an actress?" I shout aloud suddenly. Wow. I deserve major kudos.

"And the brain returns. Welcome back, Gallagher Girl." Zach smirks at me.

"But we thought you were a –" and as I'm about to yell out "spy!", Zach elbows me in the side.

"A what?" she asks.

"Uh…a…pyscho," I manage to say, and Zach laughs. Ha, ha. Very funny.

She smiles. "Well, if I were you, I would have thought I was a psycho myself. I wasn't exactly very nice, was I?"

I look at her, still stunned. "Yes…you were…" I rack my head for a diplomatic response. "You were very straightforward. Not afraid to stand your ground."

"A bitch," Zach says simply, glancing at me.

"I was," she agrees, smiling even more. "It wasn't very difficult. I am an actress for a living."

We all stand there in the girls' bathroom, each contemplating what had just happened, when the bathroom door opens and two girls who seem to be in middle school giggle hysterically.

"He was totally cute," one freckle-faced girl whispers gleefully to her co-conspirator.

"Yes," the other tan girl nods. "Like Justin Bieber cute."

"He totally looked at me!" the freckle-faced girl declares. "Like, he turned around, and our eyes met, and –"

The two girls look up, noticing at last that something wasn't quite right about the group of people in front of them. Then, the freckle-faced girl starts shrieking.

"A boy! A boy in the girls' bathroom!"

She and her friend point at Zach in shock, their eyes wide and mouths dropped open.

Zach looks to me and winks. "Gotta run, Gallagher Girl. See you at home."

The word "home" that he so smoothly drawled sends shivers down my spine. Home. Zach and I. We shared a home! It was our home! Cammie and Zach's home!

I was happily processing these thoughts when Sam interrupted, "So is it okay for me to come home with you?"

I look at her blankly, and the image of Zach and me snuggling cozily next to each other on a soft leather couch pops in my mind. Immediately, I remember where I am and everything that has happened. I remember who Molly really is. And then I realize I have no idea how to answer the real Molly's – or Sam – question. Do I kick her out and send her back to Hollywood, or do I just smile happily and say, sure, sleep over at my house and we can talk all about your latest boyfriend! Whoever that is.

Sam clears her throat. "I realize it's kind of awkward…I mean, I know I should have said something but I didn't know how you'd react so I just kept the disguise. I didn't know…"

I was angry with her. I, Cammie Morgan, certified Gallagher Girl, couldn't detect that my own cousin was an imposter. A Hollywood actress probably known by every single teenager and followed by paparazzi everywhere. I was embarrassed and mortified.

When I didn't answer, she went on, nervously twirling a dark lock with one finger. "I just…I didn't mean to be such a bitch, and I didn't mean to deceive you. I just wanted a normal life, you know? I can understand if you hate me. I can understand if you want to kick me out, but –"

It was at that instant that my girl skills kicked in. I'm not talking about my super duper spy skills, where I can tell a person is lying by the smallest movement or if another person is speaking to them through a microscopic earphone. It was my complete empathy and understanding as a fellow person, and a fellow girl, that kicked in. I knew what Sam was talking about. I knew what she meant by just wanting a normal life. And for some reason, right in front of one of the world's most famous faces, I felt normal. I even felt like being a Gallagher Girl was one of the most normal and best things to ever happen to a girl.

"Sure," I said, smiling. When I realized the look of horror on her face, I corrected myself. "You can come home with me."

But just as we were heading home, Zach came sprinting towards us, panting. Beads of sweat trickled from his forehead as he bent down to catch his breath. Then he looked up, his usually playfully mocking and deep blue eyes full of worry and…was that fear in Zach's face? I'd never seen Zach afraid before, but right now, to my own shock, I could see panic and uncertainty in Zach's eyes.

"They're gone," he says, finally catching his breath.

"Who's gone?" I ask, but my stomach tightens as I know the answer already. Sam looks from Zach to me.

"Our grandfathers. No one's home. They're gone."


	17. Chapter 17

*Update* I'll be honest here, I was almost about to give up continuing this fan fic! But I'm picking it up again, so I'm sorry I'm posting so late and I'm sorry if the new few chapters don't flow as well. Hope you enjoy, and please comment!

And…I'm all caught up with the GG books! I can't even begin to describe how amazing the last one was (:

I'm sitting on the floor of my room, hugging my knees to my chest. The torn piece of newspaper that was tucked under the milk carton on the kitchen table is now folded neatly into my right fist. Somehow, despite all the chaos, I have managed to keep this piece of paper intact.

We had arrived home to find everything ransacked – couch cushions thrown on the carpet, drawers open and some broken, bookshelves overturned. The last carton of vanilla ice cream was melting into a puddle on the counter. Grampa's home had always been my place of refuge, the one haven that nothing in my crazy spy world could ever change. The one normality in my life. Now, it was just as abnormal as anything else.

I had somehow wandered to the kitchen table, and intuitively I had lifted the half-empty milk carton and found a piece of yesterday's newspaper. There was thick, black ink scrawled across the newspaper print: "Found Mother Bird." Just three words.

Grampa had written these three words specifically for me. That much I knew. When I was six years old, there had been a bird's nest in the maple tree behind Grampa's house. I would occasionally wander around the tree, peering up at the nest and listening to the faint chirps of the baby birds.

"Where's their mom?" I had asked Grampa one day. I had just come back from digging up a hole near the maple tree, my fingers encased in dirt. As a product of a spy family, I must have thought that I was digging up a secret tunnel to another country.

Grampa smiled at me and led me to the bathroom. As he pulled me towards the sink and washed the dirt off my hands, he answered, "Their mom is out getting food."

"Will she be back soon?"

"Yes, Cammie, the mother bird will be back soon." He smiled again and wiped my hands with a towel.

"So, will they be safe?"

He cocked his head and laughed. "Of course, Cammie. Once the mother bird returns soon, they will be safe."

There's a knock at the door. I bring myself back from six-year-old Cammie inquiring after the survival of baby birds to present-day Cammie. Inquiring after the survival of her Grampa, I silently add to myself.

Zach enters the room and sits down beside me. "Hey," he says softly.

"Hey," I say back. It seems to be all we can manage for a while, and then Zach reaches over and gently laces his fingers into mine. He squeezes my right hand, and smiles. It's a hint of a smile – no playfulness, no sarcasm, no typical Zachary Goode-ness. Just a quiet, sweet smile that slowly reaches his blue eyes.

"It'll be okay," he murmurs into my ear, his breath softly caressing my neck. He teases the piece of newspaper I've been clutching for the past hour out of my hand, and unfolds it. "Found the Mother Bird," he reads aloud. "So, they're safe for now?"

I nodded. "For now, at least." Something clicks as I look into Zach's eyes. I shouldn't be sulking or wallowing in fear. I'm a spy. I can find Grampa. And, I think to myself, Zach has probably been through so much more. "I'm sorry," I get up. "I shouldn't be sitting here, I should be –"

Zach grabs my wrist as he stands. "Don't apologize. You shouldn't be, you should be…whatever. There isn't anything we _should_ be doing. We can try to find them. We can figure this out." He smiles, and this time, there's a hint of the old Zachary Goode. A playful grin settles at the corners of his lips. "Ready, Gallagher Girl?"

I take a deep breath, then return a faint smile. "Ready."


End file.
